Bag dispenser



L. W. HEIN BAG DISPENSER Aug. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1965 INVENTOR Lesfer W Hal/7 BY AT TORME Y8 L. W. HEIN BAG DISPENSER Aug. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1963 INVENTOR Les/er W. Hem

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,19%,723 BAG DEEENER Lester W. Hein, 152 E. Alton, Independence, Mo. Filed Apr. 1, 1963,. er. No. 269,423 Claims. (Ci. 22l47) This invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly to dispensers for folded paper bags of the satchelbottom type with a bottom flap which may be grasped for single bag withdrawal.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a new and improved paper bag dispenser which is easily loaded with a stack of paper bags; to provide such a device where in the bags are easily dispensed from the stack by grasping the bottom flap thereof and withdrawing the same outwardly from the device, the withdrawal of the bag presenting a new bag for withdrawal; to provide such an apparatus which is of an over-all size only slightly larger than the periphery of the folded bags contained therein, thus saving considerable space over prior art dispensers; to provide such a bag dispenser which includes convenient exterior loading handles which are easily manipulated for reloading the device; to provide such dispensing apparatus wherein the external controls may be telescoped or collapsed within the device after loading for saving space and eliminating undesirable protrusions; and to provide such a device which is of simple construction, economical in manufacture and rugged in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, generally frontal, of a bag dispenser embodying this invention adapted for dispensing bags from the rear thereof and showing slidable, double loading rod supported, bag-engaging bar members partially withdrawn for inserting a stack of folded paper bags.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the dispenser of FIG. 1 shown generally from the rear with the paper bag-engaging bar members at the positions assumed when all bags are exhausted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the dispenser with portions broken away showing the internal parts thereof and a stack of paper bags engaged therein with loading rods collapsed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional top view through the dispenser with a stack of bags therein showing the loading rods withdrawn into engagement with the sliding plugs supporting a bag-engaging bar member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of this invention having a single central sliding loading rod for each end member.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational cross-sectional view through the embodiment of FIG. 5 but with a stack of folded paper bags engaged therein for dispensing.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 generally indicates a dispenser for receiving and dispensing a stack 2 of folded paper bags 3 of the satchel-bottom type having a bottom flap i which may be grasped by the fingers for withdrawing. The dispenser 1 comprises a hollow frame 5 having a front 6 and a rear 7 and including spaced-apart upper and lower end members designated 3 and 9 respectively. The end members 8 and 9 have rectangular end walls 1% and 11 respectively, each end wall having parallel side edges 12 and 13 and parallel end edges 14 and 15. The side edges 12 and 13 of each end wall respectively have opposed elongated side wall strips or portions 16 and 17 fixed thereto and extending at right angles to the respective end wall toward the opposite end wall. The side wall portions 16 and 17 and respective end walls may be fabricated of bendable sheet metal such as aluminum or relatively soft steel. The side wall portions 16 and 17 together extend only partially the distance between the end walls 10 and 11 forming side openings 18 and 19 between the respective end members 8 and 9 providing easy access into the hollow frame 5. Except for structure described hereinafter, the front and rear 6 and 7 of the hollow frame 5 are open. The end members 8 and 9 are joined and maintained in fixed spacedapart relation with respect to each other by means of elongated structural strips 20 extending across the respective side openings 18 and 19 and secured to the respective end members 8 and 9 at opposite ends thereof by suitable joining means such as spot welding.

Laterally opposed elongated pairs of slots 21 and 22 extend through the respective side wall portions 16 and 17 of the respective end members 8 and 9 and extend substantially entirely across the length of the side wall portions 16 and 17 parallel to the side edges 12 and 13. Elongated generally semi-cylindrical hollow cover members 23, preferably formed of sheet metal, have outwardly extending flanges 24 suitably secured, for example by spot welding, to the respective side wall portions 16 and 17 and cover the respective slots 21 and 22 on the exterior of the side wall portions 16 and 17. The cover members 23 have a greater inside diameter than the width of the respective slots and cooperate therewith to form elongated passageways 25 extending parallel to and communicating with the respective slots. The passageways 25 extend substantially the entire distance between the front 6 and rear 7 and are disposed in identical but opposite positions on the respective side wall portions 16 and 17 of each end member 8 and 9.

A closely fitting plug 26 is longitudinally slidable in each of the passageways 25. A cap member 27 is secured to the respective side wall portions 16 and 17 by means of suitable screws and nuts 28 or the like and turned to respectively cover the front end 29 of each of the passageways 25. An elongated helical compression spring 30 is contained in each of the passageways 25 and bears respectively on the cap member 27 and on the plug 26 for resiliently slidably urging the plug rearwardly of the hollow frame 5.

A bar member or cross beam 31 is secured at opposite ends thereof to each of the respective pairs of plugs located in the upper and lower end members 8 and 9 and extends transversely through the respective slots 21 and 22 into the hollow frame 5. The bar members 31 are movable in a direction parallel to the slots 21 and 22 within the frame in response to the movement of the respective plugs 26 which in turn results in the compression and elongation of the respective springs 30.

Loading rods 32 slidably extend transversely through openings 32' in each of the cap members 27 and longitudinally into the respective passageways 25. The loading rods 32 extend slidably within the respective springs 36 and slidably through a longitudinal bore 33 in each of the plugs 26. The loading rods 32 terminate at the rear ends 34 thereof in an abutment greater in width than the plug bore 33, in the illustrated example the abutment taking the form of a nut 35 threadedly engaged with the rear end of a respective loading rod 32. Thus, the loading rods engage the respective plugs 26 upon withdrawal but are adapted to separate from the plug for collapsing into the frame independently of the rest position of the plug in the passageway as best illustrated at 36 in 1 16.3.

The other ends 37 of the respective opposed loading rods 32 extend externally of the frame 5 and are joined a the frame.

together by transverse grasping rods 38 whereby the respective pairs of loading rods 32 in the upper and lower end members 8 and 9 may be withdrawn simultaneously.

A pair of elongated narrow spaced-apart ba -abutting bars 39 respectively extend parallel to and are aligned with the elongated bar members or cross beams 31 at the rear 7 of the frame. The bars 39 are each anchored in position by extending through the respective side wall portions 16 and 17 and into suitable stationary plugs 49 located in the respective passageways 25. The bar members or cross beams 31 and bars 39 respectively cooperate forming clamps for resiliently retaining the stack 2 of paper bags 3 therebetween, the respective bar members 31 and bars 39 being vertically symmetrically spaced apart so as to engage the stack at upper and lower positions either of which exposes the bottom flap 4 for ease .of grasping and extracting rearwardly of the frame 5. In other words, the flap 4 is located in the same relative position to a bar 39 regardless of whether the stack is placed in the dispenser with the bottom extending downwardly or upwardly.

In loading the dispenser above described, one of the rods 38 is grasped and pulled for separating a bar member 31 from an abutting bar 39 whereupon the stack 2 may be inserted therebetween and clamped at one end .by releasing the rod 38. This is repeated for the other .end of the stack. The bags may be loaded from either bers 42 and 43 to maintain the spaced relation there between. The rear wall 41 also forms the rear abutment against which the stack 44 of paper bags rests when contained in the frame. Since the wall 41 substantially closes the rear of the frame, the bags in this embodiment must be dispensed by reaching into the front 45 of the dispenser.

In this latter embodiment, the respective end members 42 and 43 each have a single slot 46 which is located in the respective end Walls 47 and 48. Cover members 49 extend over the respective slots 46 in the manner above described and longitudinally slidable plugs 50 are'contained in the passageways 51 formed by the cover members and the respective end Walls. The plugs 50 threadedly receive one end 52 of respective loading rods 53 and the other end 54 of the loading rods 53 extends through cap members 55 and terminates in a suitable grasping knob 55.

Bar members 57 are threadedly received at one end 58 thereof in the respective plugs 50 and extend into the interior of the hollow frame to positions of contact with the paper bag stack. Each of the bar members 57 terminate at the other end 58 thereof in a cross beam 59 extending parallel to the end members 42 and 43 and the rear wall 41 for substantially the interior width of The Withdrawal of the grasping knobs 56 away from the frame causes the respective cross beams 59 to move away from the rear wall 41 for loading the bag stack 44 in the manner described above in connection with the first-noted embodiment.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, they are not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser for folded paper bags of the satchelbottom type having a bottom flap which may be grasped .by the fingers comprising:

' (a) a hollow frame substantially of sheet metal and ,having a front and a rear and including a pair of opposed spaced-apart end members respectively having rectangular parallel end walls with parallel pairs of side and end edges, said side edges respectively having opposed side wall portions fixed thereto and extending at right angles from said end walls toward the opposite end wall, said side wall portions together extending only partially the distance between said end walls forming side openings between said end members providing access into said frame,

(b) structural means joining said end members and maintaining said end members in fixed relation with respect to each other,

(e) elongated slots through said end members and extending parallel to said side edges, elongated generally semi-cylindrical cover members having outwardly extending flanges secured to said end members and covering said slots on the exterior of said end members, said cover members having a greater inside diameter than the Width of said slots and cooperating therewith to form an elongated passageway extending parallel to and communicating with said respective slots, said passageways extending substantially the entire distance between said frame front and rear,

(d) a closely fitting plug slidable longitudinally in each of said passageways, cap members secured to said end members and respectively covering the front end of each of said passageways, an elongated helical compression spring in each of said passageways and bearing respectively on said cap members and on said plugs for resiliently slidably urging said plugs rearwardly of said frame,

(e) a paper bag-engaging bar portion secured to each of said plugs and extending transversely through the respective slot into said frame, said bar portions being movable parallel to said slots within said frame in response to the movement of said respective plugs,

(f) a loading rod slidably extending through each of said cap members and longitudinally into said passageways and slidably'within said respective springs, said rods adjacent one end thereof engaging said plugs and at the other end thereof extending externally of said frame for grasping to conveniently move said bar portions, and

(g) abutting means extending across the rear of said frame and aligned with said bar portions forming clamp members for resiliently retaining a stack of paper bags therebetween, said clamp members being adapted to engage the top paper bag on said stack at positions exposing said bottom flap for grasping and extracting.

2. The dispenser structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) each side wall portion supports one of said cover members over one of said slots and the loading rods of each end member are joined externally of said frame.

3. Thedispenser structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said bar portions of each end member together form an elongated bar extending transversely of said frame.

4. A dispenser for folded paper bags of the satchelbottom type having a bottom flap which may be grasped by the fingers comprising:

(a) a hollow frame having a front and a rear and including a pair of opposed spaced-apart end members respectively having rectangular parallel end walls with parallel pairs of side and end edges, said side edges respectively having opposed side wall portions fixed thereto and extending at right angles from said end walls toward the opposite end wall, said side wall portions together extending only partially the distance between said end walls forming side openings between said end members providing access into said frame,

(b) structural means joining said end members and maintaining said end members in fixed relation with respect to each other,

(c) elongated slots through said end members and extending parallel to said side edges, elongated cover members secured to said end members and covering said slots on the exterior of said end members, said cover members having a greater inside dimension than the width of said slots and cooperating therewith to form an elongated passageway extending parallel to and communicating with said respective slots,

(d) a plug slidable longitudinally in each of said passageways, front members secured to said end members and respectively extending across each of said passageways adjacent the front end thereof, an elongated compression spring in each of said passageways and bearing respectively on said front members and on said plugs for resiliently slidably urging said plugs rearwardly of said frame,

(e) a paper-bag engaging bar portion secured to each of said plugs and extending transversely through the respective slot into said frame, said bar portions being movable parallel to said slots Within said frame in response to the movement of said respective plugs,

(f) a loading rod slidably extending beyond each of said front members and longitudinally into said passageways and slidably within said respective springs, said rods adjacent one end thereof engaging said plugs and at the other end thereof extending externally of said frame for grasping to conveniently move said bar portions, and

(g) abutting means extending across the rear of said frame and aligned with said bar portions forming clamp members for resiliently retaining a stack of paper bags therebetween, said clamp members being adapted to engage the top paper bag on said stack at positions exposing said bottom flap for grasping and extracting.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,009 8/91 Armstrong 248453 479,117 7/92 Denny 31271 1,161,367 11/15 Womack 248-452 1,646,121 10/27 Thorp 22163 1,702,983 2/29 Shatter et a1. 221-63 1,964,597 6/34 Rapellin 221232 2,083,843 6/37 Hicks 312-71 2,153,278 4/39 Shelley 22152 X 2,256,265 9/41 Morrow 221-59 X 2,775,365 12/56 'Mestman et al 22159 3,031,795 5/62 Frost 248252 FOREIGN PATENTS 217,093 12/09 Germany 221-47 KENNETH N. LEIMER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR FOLDED PAPER BAGS OF THE SATCHELBOTTOM TYPE HAVING A BOTTOM FLAP WHICH MAY BE GRASPED BY THE FINGERS COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW FRAME SUBSTANTIALLY OF SHEET METAL AND HAVING A FRONT AND A REAR AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED SPACED-APART END MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY HAVING RECTANGULAR PARALLEL END WALLS WITH PARALLEL PAIRS OF SIDE AND END EDGES, SAID SIDE EDGES RESPECTIVELY HAVING OPPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS FIXED THERETO AND EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM SAID END WALLS TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END WALL, SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS TOGETHER EXTENDING ONLY PARTIALLY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID END WALLS FORMING SIDE OPENINGS BETWEEN SAID END MEMBERS PROVIDING ACCESS INTO SAID FRAME, (A) STRUCTURAL MEANS JOINING SAID END MEMBERS AND MAINTAINING SAID END MEMBERS IN FIXED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, (C) ELONGATED SLOTS THROUGH SAID END MEMBERS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE EDGES, ELONGATED GENERALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL COVER MEMBERS HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES SECURED TO SAID END MEMBERS AND COVERING SAID SLOTS ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID END MEMBERS, SAID COVER MEMBERS HAVING A GREATER INSIDE DIAMETER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOTS AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO FORM AN ELONGATED PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING PARALLEL TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID RESPECTIVE SLOTS, SAID PASSAGEWAYS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FRAME FRONT AND REAR, (D) A CLOSELY FITTING PLUG SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY IN EACH OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS, CAP MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID END MEMBERS AND RESPECTIVELY COVERING THE FRONT END OF EACH OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS, AN ELONGATED HELICAL COMPRESSION SPRING IN EACH OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS AND BEARING RESPECTIVELY ON SAID CAP MEMBERS AND ON SAID PLUGS FOR RESILIENTLY SLIDABLY URGING SAID PLUGS REARWARDLY OF SAID FRAME, (E) A PAPER BAG-ENGAGING BAR PORTION SECURED TO EACH OF SAID PLUGS AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE SLOT INTO SAID FRAME, SAID BAR PORTIONS L BEING MOVABLE PARALLEL TO SAID SLOTS WITHIN SAID FRAME IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID RESPECTIVELY PLUGS, (F) A LOADING ROD SLIDABLY EXTENDING THROUGH END OF SAID CAP MEMBERS AND LONGITUDINALLY INTO SAID PASSAGEWAYS AND SLIDABLY WITHIN SAID RESPECTIVE SPRINGS, SAID RODS ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF ENGAGING SAID PLUGS AND AT THE OTHER AND THEREOF EXTENDING EXTER, NALLY OF SAID FRAME FOR GRASPING TO CONVENIENTLY MOVE SAID BAR PORTIONS, AND (G) ABUTTING MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS THE REAR OF SAID FRAME AND ALIGNED WITH SAID BAR PORTIONS FORMING CLAMP MEMBERS FOR RESILIENTLY RETAINING A STACK OF PAPER BAGS THEREBETWEEN, SAID CLAMP MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TOP PAPER BAG ON SAID STACK AT POSITIONS EXPOSING SAID BOTTOM FLAP FOR GRASPING AND EXTRACTING. 